Waterproofing a basement...cost?

[robbie3982]

DH and I went to look at a house tonight (!) and we really liked it. It''s in a great neighborhood and a great school district...

...but it definitely needs some work on the inside. There''s no carpeting or hardwood floors. Apparently there used to be carpeting, but someone didn''t close the back door and some kind of animal got in and destroyed (peed on?) the carpets and the place stunk until they ripped it all out recently. It definitely needs new countertops in the kitchen (they''re warped) and there are no appliances. The worst part though is the basement. We live in an area that floods pretty frequently so today was a great day to look at houses since it''s been raining all day. There was definitely water throughout the basement though it wasn''t like we were standing in a foot of water or anything. Apparently the basement was finished, but due to the flooding, the carpet and drywall became moldy so they ripped it out to give it a better chance to sell.

Does anyone have any idea how much it costs to waterproof a basement?

Some more info, this is a bank-owned home. It was built in 1998. The other comparable homes in the neighborhood are going for over 100k more than the one we looked at.

DH''s parents are coming up to look at the house with us tomorrow. FIL is really handy, but doesn''t know so much about waterproofing. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

 

[~*Alexis*~]

Well my dad is a contractor so I might be able to help you a little bit..

It all honestly depends on what you mean by waterproofing..there are a few different ways...another is how large the space is what you want done with it and whatnot....I am assuming the concrete in the basement is sound?? Do you know the square footage? What area are you looking at (what state. metro area)....

In all honesty I would expect to pay (in a general range of course) to pay some where along the lines of $10k-20k depending on if you just buy the supplies and DIY....labor is usually the part that costs the most.

 

[robbie3982]

Thanks for the response Alexis! I''m actually not sure if the concrete is the problem or not. It was dark and the lights in the basement weren''t working. I don''t know the square footage

. It''s in the Youngstown, OH area. $10-$20k? Yikes! Is it possible to have someone who does this come out and give an estimate before we''d put an offer on the house? Do you know if there''s a charge usually associated with that?

 

[~*Alexis*~]

OH is not that bad I don''t think.... I would ask for a free estimate from someone for the house. Any realtor should not have a problem with this. If they do they might know that it is going to cost more than someone is willing to pay for the repairs. I would tell whom ever is selling the house that you want to know repair costs before you make a potential offer. Its your right to know as the buyer.... I would also ask them when the last housing inspection was. Because there may be code issues related to buying that house.

 

[Efe]

It could be something as simple as installing a sump pump and making some landscaping changes around the foundation. When you go back tomorrow, look all around the outside of the foundation, check gutters, etc. The ground should slope away from the house and the gutters should have extensions to carry the water at least 3 or 4 feet away from the foundation. If you are serious about the house I would just make any offer contingent upon a satisfactory resolution of the water problem.

 

[scarleta]

Robbie: I would just keep looking for another place...that is my opinion...

 

[Ellen]

Date: 10/23/2007 8:13:46 PM
Author: scarleta
Robbie: I would just keep looking for another place...that is my opinion...

Ditto. I don''t mean to be a kill joy, and I know how exciting it is looking for a home, but I think you can do better.

 

[movie zombie]

check the price for installing a sump pump that works automatically.

oddly, this question came up recently for us re a property we own [not our residence] that was built in 1948. the contractor we consulted said that basements made now would be lined on the outside with impermeable type materials so that lining from the inside wouldn''t be an issue. however, in a home built in 1948 things were obviously done differently! not sure when ''now'' would be but i''d think a home built in 1998 with a basement would have been better planned for.

some other thoughts: when does it get water in it? in our case, its when the road drain gets covered with leaves and the ground around the house gets saturated a bit. the water then comes through the cynderblock/cement basement walls and floor. never fills but comes up about a foot. apparently the water table is high in the area.....

personally, i''m with those that say pass.....

movie zombie

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 10/23/2007 8:13:46 PM
Author: scarleta
Robbie: I would just keep looking for another place...that is my opinion...

Me too. Water and mold is just NOT something I would want to deal with. I am guessing you would have to replace ALL the drywall (and treat the mold), ceiling, figure out how to STOP any future flooding (keep in mind it is a fairly new house so it should be flooding). Most bank owns (if not all) are sold as is so of course you could get a contractor to give you a price but you won''t be able to use it to negotiate ONCE you give an offer. I personally wouldn''t worry about recarpeting, appliances, paint. All those things are easy to do and when you are getting a deal on a house worth it. Depending on the square footage and how nice of appliances, carpet, etc...you are looking at I would add around $5,000 - $10,000 to your out of pocket expenses (not including the basement). I know it is hard to buy in Ohio (for first time buyers). Good luck!

 

[strmrdr]

First you would have to pipe all the downspouts away from the house. $1k or so.
Then you would need to install a sump and a baseboard water handling system $6k or so.
http://www.dryupbasement.com/baseboard.htm
Then if there is any damage it will have too be fixed $???????????
Because it has flodded once you are going to have a real hard time getting water damage insurance.

Id say pass!

 

[door knob solitaire]

Sound advice...I don''t mean to disagree with all ...but wanted to add another angle.

The water in the basement could be from a water pipe or leak within the house. The tenants may have left and a pipe broke and it could have been months before it was detected. This theory could explain the damage to the carpets etc...and since water flows downward...it made its way to the basement...where you and everyone else is assuming it is a basement water foundation problem.

Do you know the story of why the bank owns it? Was the house trashed because the people lost it. They could have purposely sabotaged it. This is a major problem plaguing the financial institutions right now. Many home owners are overextended and when it is all settled forced to leave and are darned if anyone else is going to get THEIR house. Appliances are gone...hmmmm. Sounds like a grudge laden previous owner.

Can you visit with a neighbor? They are usually willing to spill everything they know. You can contact the court for the mortgage default records. This can answer questions the bank may not want to divulge. But it is public record.

If any of this theory holds merit...wouldn''t you want fresh flooring anyway? So what is the big deal about the carpet? You can visit Best Buy and get an all stainless kitchen for under 2K...now whats the excuse? the counter tops. Lowes will sell you laminate preformed for very littl money. Or you can tile a warped counter top in great tumbled marble.

Ok, we''ve covered most of the ickies...but there are a few points that remain. You must not do anything without a certified inspector. Not your cousin, uncle, or butcher...but a real genuine certified house inspector. $800 to $2K depending on where you live.

And lastly...financing for a house in that condition won''t be cheap. No bank wants to get it back before you fix it. Have you considered that? You probably won''t qualify for PMI on this condition of a house.

Ask a neighbor with a similar home...if it is real bonifide basement flooding... Paddle to the other part of town and forget this one. Buying a flood house is not saving money...it is just the beginning in spending it.

DKS

 

[lyra]

As with everything, even houses are generally priced fairly. If it''s 100K less than comparables in the area, it''s because it requires that much to be put into it to bring it up to the level of the rest of the houses. I''d definitely pass on this one. A wet basement is expensive to fix, if it can be fixed completely. So you''re paying for square footage that you''ll never be able to use with a full sense of security, not even just for storage really.

If you''re looking in an area that floods, look for higher ground.

We have a fully finished basement that''s as dry as can be. We do have a sump pump because it is law where we live, but other than testing to make sure it''s functional, it has never ever had to kick in.

 

[PaulaW]

Hey Robbie,
We had water issues in our basement and had several companies quote us. We live in the north east, have a cape cod with a good sized basement (maybe 600-800sf), and live on a hill. All of the companies agreed that our issues were due to hydrostatic pressure on the basement walls and floors and it was more severe on the upper part of our hillside. The remedy was to install french drains and dual sump pumps in opposing corners of the basement. The french drains were installed by drilling a dotted line pattern around the interior perimeter of the basement, installing a corrugated, plastic pipe with holes in it on top of a gravel base, and a plastic, l-shaped, waffle patterned trough against the wall that all lead to the pumps. The pumps then send the water through pipes out of our basement and across our lawn (buried of course) into the street. Total cost was about $8,000.
One of the other posters mentioned the landscaping, grading, and leaders from your downspouts - those are all good things to look at too and if you have bilco doors - check those too, they make leak.
Hope that helps!